Christchurch 2010

Like most of the population of Christchurch, 'Alison' was in bed when the 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit in the early hours (4:35am) of September 4. Her eyes well up with tears as she remembers the confusion and fear as her bed began to rock in all directions. Getting out of bed she discovered piles of silvery-grey dust (liquefaction) erupting like miniature volcanoes through the concrete slab and carpet in her lounge room before it mixed with the water and sludge that was pouring through the doors.

In the 42 seconds that the (main) quake lasted, her house was split down the middle, her doors were jammed shut by the 3 foot deep piles of liquefaction and she was stuck inside - the night was pitch black and cold - and once the sound "like a run away train" had subsided she stood paralysed by uncertainty and fear.

Eventually she forced her way out the front door by kicking at the door to force the silt away, and stepping out into the night she sank up to her neck in the silver-grey 'quicksand like' that used to be her front garden. As people looked for candles and torches the neighbours called out to her asking if she was alright but scared that they too would get stuck in the suddenly unstable ground she told them to stay back as she pulled herself out and gingerly crawled to what was left of her concrete driveway.

When the light of dawn finally chased the confusion of the night away Alison saw the extent of the damage to her house. She had to call in an earth mover to dig her car out of the garage; the foundations of her house had moved both north and east about 3 to 4 feet; the rook had collapsed in the middle; but in what was her lounge room a display cabinet with her collection of 100 year old crystal remained unscathed - not one piece had moved.

I had the privilege of joining a team that visited people like Alison over the last week. Hers is not an unusual story. About 10 weeks on, and despite many aftershocks (my first night in Christchurch was punctuated by a 4.9 magnitude aftershock) much of the liquefaction has been removed, many of the streets have been cleaned up, but the numerous physical scars remain - and are matched, if not outweighed by the emotional scars - some of which are buried deep and are yet to find ownership and voice.

One of the most encouraging results observed is that new community relationships have been forged. Where in the past relationships between neighbours were civil enough, now there are partnerships formed in a determination to not only support and encourage but to overcome and rebuild - together.